Container



April 28, 1942- A. E. SIMMONS CONTAINER Filed Feb. 21, 1940 A Zberz Z'Zlz'ofi 5277277110708 A iiomeys I Patented Apr. 28, I942 S ATE fr "OFFICF'EF CONTAINER Albert Elliott Simmons, Eureka, Calif., assignor of one-third to Ernest S. Mitchell, Eureka,

Calif.

Application February 21, 1940, Serial No. 320,193

1 Claim.

My invention relates to improvements in containers, and particularly to a container having a false bottom capable of being elevated as the contents of the container is consumed, so as to maintain the top of the contents at a level adjacent the top of the container until the container is emptied of its contents, and an important object of my invention is to provide a simple and efiicient arrangement of this character which can be provided at low cost, and which enables conveniently having available the entire contents of the container.

Other important objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from a reading of the following description and the appended drawing wherein for purposes of illustration a preferred embodiment of the invention is shown.

In the drawing- Figure l is a general side elevational view of a container in accordance with the present invention showing the cover in place.

Figure 2 is a general transverse vertical sectional view taken through Figure 1 and showing the cover removed and the handle of the false bottom in operative position.

Figure 3 is an enlarged horizontal sectional View taken through Figure 1 approximately on the line 2--2 and looking downwardly in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse vertical sectional view taken through Figure 1 approximately on the line 4-4 and looking toward the left in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary bottom plan view of the cover showing the false bottom handle accommodating slot or groove therein.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the numeral 5 generally designates the container which may be rectangular in cross section but is preferably cylindrical in cross section, but in any case has perpendicular walls 6 rising from a bottom I, the walls having an outset bead 8 adjacent to but spaced below the upper end 9 of the container over which a cap type of top generally designated I0 is adapted to be telescoped to close the container in the manner indicated in Figures 1 and 4, with the lower edge ll of the skirt l2 of the cover closely approaching the upper side of the bead 8. This description fits many variations of this general type of container, but this general type of container is altered in accordance with the present invention by providing for close fitting sliding engagement with the inner surfaces of the walls 6 thereof a conformably shaped horizontal false bottom l3 which has a bracket or loop l4 suitably secured to the approximate center of its upper surface, to which bracket or loop is attached a wire or cable l5 providing a false bottom elevating handle, the said wire or cable or cord having a head IS on its free end. The false bottom I3 is placed under the contents ll of the container so that as the contents of the container, such as grease or the like semi-fluid material, are removed from the container at the top thereof the same may be brought up again to the level of the top so as to be readily accessible, by pulling up on the handle so as to cause the false bottom l3 to rise from the vicinity of the true bottom 1. In its rising action, the false bottom, due to its construction and close fit in the container, will not only elevate the container contents resting thereon, but will at the same time scrape the inner surfaces of the side walls 6 of the container so as to clean these walls of the contents of the container and make the scraped contents available for removal in a convenient manner from the container.

The handle 15, whether of flexible cord or of wire or some other suitable material, will be sufiiciently long to reach above and beyond the upper edge 9 of the container and fold or fall down along the side of the container in the manner indicated in Figure 4. The declining portion l8 of the handle is accommodated in an outset portion or groove IS in the skirt l2 of the cover l0, so that the cover may be closely telescoped on the upper part of the container and achieve a close fit thereon without any undue distortion of the cover or the upper part of the container, and so that the head l6 will be in a convenient position to be grasped by the user of the contents of the container upon removal of the cover 10. A notch 20 in the upper edge of the container is provided to receive the handle l5 as shown in Figure 4 of the drawing, so that the upper edge 9 of the container may engage the web of the top l0 throughout the circumference thereof.

without distortion or displacement such as might adversely affect the sealing action of the top.

Although I have shown and described herein a preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be definitely understood that I do not desire to limit the application of the invention thereto, except as may be required by the scope of the subjoined claim.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

In a container having a vertically movable false bottom, a flexible lifting member attached centrally to said false bottom and rising therefrom,

of said vertical groove in the skirt of the cap to accommodate the bend of said lifting member and allow said cap to seat upon the said upper edge of the container, the upper part of said container being formed with an exterior head to be met by the lower edge of the skirt of the cap with the cap in closed position, the lower edge of the skirt of the cap and said head cooperating to clamp the depending portion of said lifting mem- 10 her.

ALBERT ELLIOTT SIMMONS. 

